An art-ful Christmas

Consider a gift for Christmas which is exciting, interesting, stimulating, thought provoking and enduring. Tip - you won't find it in DJs or Harvey Norman.
Consider the gift of art for Christmas. Give or better still, receive, art for Christmas. 
Bubble-wrapped or crated, box framed or pinned to the wall, 5 channel HD video or ephemeral floor piece, however it is disguised under the tree, the gift of an artwork (or 2) is worthwhile.

This blog is a take on a popular Christmas song, though without the rhyme or tune. If you can find a beat here, feel free to tap along. Here are a few gift ideas. 

Michael Cook Civilised #2 2012
inkjet print on paper 100 x 87.5 cm, ed 8
Image courtesy the artist and Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane

On the 12th day of Christmas my true love (I hope he's reading this) gave to me  .... 
12 of the 14 works that comprise Civilised a suite of photographs by Michael Cook. Cook is an Indigenous photographer whose works seek to re-think and re-define our predominately European based view of history; to tell an Indigenous history. 
Civilised is both romantic, sharp and witty: Indigenous models pose in olde worlde clothing from various nations which attempted to colonise the Great Southern Land, standing proudly but somewhat incongruously in a frothing shore break. No landscape vistas, headlands or jetties as points of reference, but clothing, a couple of accessories and gentle seascapes evoking far away places. Inscribed notations on the images are quotes from diaries of the various explorers (Dampier, Cook etc) or Indigenous people - creating different cultural takes on a well known historical lineage. Cook says of this series of photographs: 

"Captain Cook wrote 'these people may truly be said to be in the pure state of nature, and may appear to some to be the most wretched upon the earth; but in reality they are far happier than ... we Europeans.' What was the colonisers’ view of what it means to be civilised, and would a better understanding of Aboriginal cultures have made a difference to our history? Was being civilised about fashion, speech, cultivating the land, having Christian beliefs,or was it to do with the colour of someone’s skin or how they appeared?" Michael Cook, 2012. 
He shows with Andrew Baker in Brisbane. 

On the 11th day of Christmas ... 
consider renting from Artbank, the recently commissioned (by Artbank) HD video by creative collaborative duo known as Greedy Hen Morning Meeting Hallucination. It is described as "syrupy, textural and surreal in flavour ..." (Daniel Mudie Cunningham, Senior Curator Artbank, 2012) which is apt - as it looks finger-lickin' delicious. Theirs is a playful, quirky approach to retelling and describing the stuff of everyday life by way of album covers, posters, videos and art in a way that feels a bit retro, a bit homemade, but stylish and all their own. Check it out on vimeo.

Greedy Hen still from Morning Meeting Hallucination 2012
stop-frame animation, 16:9, colour no sound digital loop 55 sec
Commissioned by Artbank

Greedy Hen still from Morning Meeting Hallucination 2012
stop-frame animation, 16:9, colour no sound digital loop 55 sec
Commissioned by Artbank

Greedy Hen has promised editioned prints too, not yet but soon. Hold onto this idea for 2013. Keep an eye out on their website.












On the 10th day of Christmas ... 
Stephen Ormandy created a handful of small sculptures in coloured resin for his latest show at Tim Olsen Gallery (to become OlsenIrwin in 2013). Gently contorted, twisted pipes of solid but translucent colour, the sculptures are a lovely mix of his paintings and his other job (Dinosaur Designs), designing objects. Colour and form twist and blend to become something delightful.

Stephen Ormandy Digital Organic Polychromatic Opus II 2012
resin and epoxy, 34.5 x 20 x 20cm
image courtesy the artist and Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney

On the 9th day of Christmas ... I'd be very happy with a piece from Shona Wilson's new show Plastiscenic - Future Remains at King Street Gallery. She has taken her practice another step. Though still about making beauty out of found flotsam and jetsam, it has become intertwined in a deeper idea: born of a concern for the environment and the potential for rubbish/plastic bits to somehow infiltrate their way into the DNA of natural flora. Very sci fi. Almost theatrical in presentation. The consideration and effort to create each piece reveals an incredible commitment. Each piece is so finely wrought and balanced in its unnatural state, it demands our respect. 

On the 8th day of Christmas ... why not look at 8 small works by Karl Wiebke from the 1,888 that are currently at Liverpool St Gallery. They'd have to be the bargain of the year. The space is vibrant with colour, as all works are spread across the walls, abutting each other. They represent a daily recording, a bit like daily jottings in a visual diary. The works are raw, immediate and personal, yet reveal much about his systematic and dedicated approach to exploring concepts in painting - colour, composition, emotion - along the path of minimal abstraction. The results are infinite.

Karl Wiebke, a selection of works from 1888 Paintings, 2012
ea 17.5x12.5cm at Liverpool Street Gallery
image courtesy the artist and Liverpool Street Gallery

On the 7th day of Christmas ...

Todd McMillan still from Albatross 2011-12
16mm film
image courtesy of the artist and Sarah Cottier Gallery, Sydney

at least 7 minutes must be spent focussed on the new mesmerising 16mm film by Todd McMillan, Albatross. He voyaged way south to film the tossing, roiling vast ocean above which the majestic albatross sweep and dive. Soft tones, minimal sound, rolling rhythm of deep moving water, this is a fabulous film. It takes you to a time and place which feels lonely, cold and somewhat mournful: it is inspiring in its magnificence. There is something of the ancient myth surrounding the albatross - that each one is the soul of a sailor lost at sea. A very memorable piece in 2012 Primavera at the MCA, Sydney. 

On the 6th day of Christmas ... 

published by Wakefield Press, 2012

Something for the couch. Retreat with something light, like Steven Miller's recent book Dogs in Australian Art. A whimsical and quite possibly barking mad fresh look at [man's] best friend in Australian art. 

On the 5th day of Christmas ... consider a suite of etchings by Vernon Ah Kee, produced with Cicada Press at COFA UNSW. Known for his drawings, surfboards and prints, Ah Kee is one of Australia's most political Indigenous artists today. He is unapologetically forthright, never retreating from this convictions: 
"Because I am Aboriginal, because I was born with dark skin and dark, curly hair, I’ve never had the opportunity to be perceived as anything other than Aboriginal, and it has never occurred to me that I could be anything other than Aboriginal. So everything I think, say, and do is done from that position—never from outside that framework. I don’t think I’m always being overtly political. Mostly my works are simply about my life as an Aboriginal person. I use my work to establish some sort of equilibrium for myself." Vernon Ah Kee. 
The prints are based on drawings which I first saw in Natasha Bullock's drawing exhibition, Erased, shown at the National Art School. They are extraordinary portraits of Indigneous people from Palm Island, of and about which Ah Kee has repeatedly created intense and deeply moving artworks - drawings, video installations. Faces appear and disappear out of the controlled yet tangles lines, and as John McDonald described "... are intended as a comment on the dubious way justice is administered on Palm Island... [they] convey little information but have an eerie, deathly power." SMH, 5.03.2011 His work is not meant to make you feel comfortable but force you to think deeply about Indigenous Australians and their place in Australian history and contemporary life. 
His work can be found at Milani Gallery or ProppaNow, an Indigenous artists collective, in Brisbane.

On the 4th day of Christmas ... 
4 tickets to Hobart please, (we'll take the kids), to spend at least a day in Hobart at MONA, to see the guest exhibition Theatre of the World, and the evening at The Islington. This has to have become THE destination for cultural tourism in Australia in the past 12 months. While you are wandering around the area, check out GASP, a new sculpture park for art encounters and events.
If you've got 2 days to spare, head to Hobart. 

Good things come in 3's so on the 3rd day of Christmas .... 
how about a visit to Brisbane to take in the Asia Pacific Triennial (APT7) at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). As its title suggests, it only comes every 3 years (unlike Christmas) and it lives up to expectations (also unlike Christmas). Exciting, invigorating and an ambitious approach to presenting an extraordinary mix of contemporary Asian and Pacific art. 

Asia Pacific Triennial 7 at QAG GOMA
opening night artists party

Some of it is quite artisanal, reliant on skills which are age-old but presented in a context which describes a contemporary scenario. It is a great marriage of curatorial knowledge, vision and a physical space which allows it all to come together. 

There are some knock out works at APT7 - too many to describe here. One which was a stand our for me is a 3-channel video by Yuan Goang-Ming, Disappearing Landscape - Passing II. This video work is absorbing and deeply moving. You are drawn into an intimate remembering of an elderly father and a celebration of an infant daughter. It is both dream-scape and real narrative, as you float and fly through space, with trees, canals, apartments and streetscapes. Time is distorted. The camera work is intriguing.

Yuan Goang-Ming Disappearing Landscape - Passing II 2011
3 channel HD video installation view
image courtesy the artist and Queensland Art Gallery

On the 2nd day of Christmas ... 
a 2nd day in Brisbane is required, to wander around the very new Law Courts and take in the public art commissioned for it. Three women from very diverse cultural backgrounds and with equally diverse practices were invited to create a work each on a significant scale. It didn't need to relate to the ideas of law and justice. 
Gemma Smith completed a large scale ceiling painting -so high and so large, it is difficult to take in comfortably (a mirror on the floor might assist perhaps?). Sally Gabori oversaw the completion of a very large painting Dibirdibi Country in the Banco Court, painted directly onto the concrete slab wall, behind the panel of judges. Humbling in its beauty and inspiring in its humanity, it would be an incredible work to contemplate when wading through the mire of legalese. 

Yayoi Kusama Thousand Eyes 2012 (detail)
public artwork Brisbane Law Courts

Outside in the public forecourt is a work by Yayoi Kasuma. Well-known to a Brisbane audience because of a major exhibition earlier in the year at QAG, she created many different eyes in her Tokyo studio which were then realised as an outdoor, permanent artwork. No doubt a very complex process. Her eyes look back at the Law Courts, wide-open and focussed, suggestive of an ever-present, watchful and potent public. This is real coup for Brisbane to have initiated and realised such a major piece by Kusama. 

Yayoi Kusama Thousand Eyes 2012 (detail)
public artwork Brisbane Law Courts
image courtesy The Courier Mail, Brisbane

On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me .... something to look forward to: more travel in 2013 to art destinations, near and far.  Add to the calendar, the Art Fairs in Singapore, Hong Kong and the new Sydney Contemporary, later in the year; the Venice Biennale and lots in between. I hope to sample at least some of it and, of course, dear and dedicated follower, I will endeavour to share the experiences with you.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a relaxing and peaceful summer break.

A beautiful bunch for the season, courtesy Jodie MacGregor Flowers

Going but not gone

Gallery Barry Keldoulis aka GBK, as a gallery, is closing. The art is still available, the artists are still active, the business of promoting and selling the artists goes on, but the gallery space will close. Soon.
Over the past couple of months Barry Keldoulis has been re-presenting small project shows from this stable of artists. Hitesh Natalwala's lastest body of work Kamikazi Wasabi continues to offer insights into his own life. He has lived across continents and cultures and tells his stories via beautiful works on paper

Hitesh Natalwala Cobra 2011
oil on digital print on paper, 82 x 117.5cm
image courtesy the artist and Gallery GBK

Joan Ross' The Claiming of things - what a sensational video - was in residence recently too. Her devilish, saucy humour steers us through a witty colonial land- rights story, eked out by Glover meets Banksy meet fluoro, along the way. A wise person once said to me, "with video art, every frame has to count". So true. In this work of Ross', every frame is memorable. 

Joan Ross The naming of things (The Claiming of things) 2012
pigment print on paper, 43.5 x 75.5cm ed of 5
image courtesy the artist and GBK

Today you'll come across new work by Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healey, Ignition. Their collaborative works never fail to disappoint. They are always a satisfying experience: conceptually consistent, technically and physically idiosyncratic. Inquiring, engaging and visually arresting. What more could you want?
Ignition is a series of small needlepoint works done by their own fair hands. They are slot views of well known explosive moments. Though pretty much abstracted and distorted, they are obviously explosions: 9/ 11, the all too familiar car bomb in the Middle East, Vietnam, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Mexican Gulf. To choose such a painstaking, time consuming, minutely rendered medium to describe such instantaneous and huge, destructive moments pushes for a new perspective. The gentle needlepoint deceptively draws us to closer, to pause and consider more deeply the impact of these violent, fiery moments. 
There are many intertwining conversations and intersecting thoughts with Healy and Cordeiro's works. Theirs is not a noisy approach, rather a quiet, genuine protest and one which is continuous throughout their body of works: the used car toys are mapped out as delicate snowflakes (Autoflakes at GBK at the moment), the lego pieces tracing the still images of the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, the unpacking of an entire caravan - wheels, windows, warts and all - and repackaged for air travel and the marvellous homages to IKEA and its worldwide impact on domestic design. 

Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healey T + 79_ black 2010
lego, 96 x 144cm
image courtesy the artists and GBK

The notion of home - what is the essence of the place of belonging? how is it achieved - financially and emotionally? What of consumption - in all its manifestations (such as food in the exhibition Are we there yet? at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC 2011) -  in a contemporary world? What sort of world will our children will inherit?

Other, older works can be seen in the very brief, far too edited down, survey show in the big downstairs room at the MCA. It is an honour for a major public institution to survey mid career artists. This pair, who are now well known and recognised internationally for their unique installations, are certainly deserving. There is the fabulous re-creation of a small plane, broken down into post-able packages and sent around the world, to land finally in the MCA inbox and then be laid out on the wall. As well the dinosaur fossil replica, entangled with IKEA bits and pieces. The old age fossil intertwined with new age disposable design. 

Sean Cordeiro and Claire Healey Future Remant 2011dinosaur fossil replica, cable binding, IKEA parts, 285x180x485cm
image courtesy the artists and GBK

I think the MCA could have done a bit more: a few more works, a little more analysis, a little more dynamism in the presentation. A real re-appraisal of their contribution to contemporary cultural discussion was lacking. The individual works hold their own but the exhibition is not a great example of curatorial endeavour. On until 2 December.
Just as an aside I notice IKEA crops up again as the basis for exploration by artists (other than Claire and Sean), with an exhibition at UTS Gallery: Swedish for Argument . How many break-ups start with the attempts to assemble the IKEA Malm drawers on a Saturday afternoon? Curated by Holly Williams, the press release begins with: In an age where one in 10 Europeans is conceived in a IKEA bed*, it is hardly surprising that the pervasive influence of this flatpack giant has found its way into the visual arts. Artists featured include: locals Gary Carsley, Emma White, Tony Schwenson & Jess Olivieri. It sounds fabulous and I'll definitely aim to drop by. Opens 23 October.

Emma White Nice Try, DIY  2012
polymer clay, object modelled to scale. Photo: Emma White. 
Courtesy the artist and BREENSPACE, Sydney

But ... to go back to the GBK which is closing. The activities of the gallery and artists continue. There is a line-up of international exhibitions in 2013, from Auckland (Claire and Sean), Vancouver, LA (Grant Stevens) to Moscow (Joan Ross, Jonathan Jones and Jess McNeill) to art fairs in Singapore, Hong Kong and later in Sydney. Keldoulis made his approach an international one from the outset. His artists now reap the rewards of exhibiting beyond their home frontiers, to engage with other collectors, curators/ critics and audiences. Theirs are global discussions. 
It is a measured risk, to close the space in which the work hangs but it should be possible. It requires considered thinking outside the square. The landscape is shifting on many levels - the art market, collector activity, international commercial and curatorial opportunities. Some dealers/ galleries are exploring a range of possibilities other than the singular space: a combination of pop up spaces, shared gallery venues, art fairs and cyberspace. 
There is ample room in cyberspace for the retail and promotion of contemporary art; to take command of the avenues into it and use it in an effective way. The force is already with us. We're all adept at conversing and buying online while facebook/ tumblr/linked in/ pinterest/ instagram (and whatever else is next) only add more layers to communication and access.Though these digital tools need to be approached shrewdly and navigated with discipline to get the most out of them. Facebook can be used in a really effective and meaningful way to communicate with a community of clients, colleagues and fans. No-one really needs to know what you ate last night or where you went dancing but colleagues you meet, exhibitions you see, articles you read, all of which extends a base of knowledge and experience.
Twitter works even if the pace feels frenetic: 140 characters can get a message across that need not be banal. Iain Dawson tweets regularly and now, without a fixed street address, his gallery is alive and well on tumblr. He is a very active occupant and advocate of cyberspace as a real space in which to promote and sell art and every now and then he pops up somewhere with an exhibition. Next is a curated group exhibition Conversations, at Queen St Gallery, opening in November.  

Athi-Patra Ruga The Future White Woman Of Azania #1 from the forthcoming exhibition Conversations digital print image courtesy the aritst and Iain Dawson Gallery

Play around with Pinterest and post a key new work (Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery is doing it - a fabulous Rover Thomas among many others was pinned only recently).  Put it out there. 

Rover Thomas Barramundi Dreaming

natural earth pigments on board 244 x 122 cm

image courtesy Coo-ee Art and the artist's estate

Blog. I'll read and subscribe.
Actually I think what is becoming increasingly difficult is how to escape it - how to tune out and turn off. There are few temptations to return to a closed building to see if anyone is waiting at the door; it is far harder to ignore the bleeping tweet that just came through.
Keldoulis and his artists have a solid reputation on which to build a new approach. His fan base has grown with him and he should be confident they will be keen to stay in touch and hear what he and his artists are up to. Every now and then though, it would be great to share a cheese biscuit and glass of prosecco whilst viewing a new work or 2 from one of his wonderful artists. 
I wish GBK well as it moves into a new phase.

Stepping out in springtime

I have to admit it has been a while. Not quite a hibernation, more like many distractions which have kept me away from my favourite blog spot. I've missed it.
Gentle reader, there's been alot on - artwise - in Sydney since we last met. I trust you have been out & about, enjoying The Biennale of Sydney and associated events, the opening of two new galleries in Chippendale, The Commercial and MCLEMOI, Shaun Gladwell's new work in AGNSW, lvl 2 Projects and experienced Contemporary Iranian Art at New Albion Gallery.
And there is more still to come. Spring is in the air, the season of unreliability, new beginnings and hay fever. You only need a decent map, a cardie, a couple claratyne to be set for an art afternoon. 

Georgina Pollard Hearth (shape),
produced through a residency at Kandos Projects in March 2012.
180x113cm, household acrylic paint and velcro
image courtesy the artist

The Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize is in full flight, across 3 venues in the inner west. The prize is open to all artists who live and/ or work in the Marrickville Arts Precinct ie inner west. This year's winner is George Shaw who, along with other finalists, is on at the Chrissie Cotter Gallery (offered as a free exhibition space to artists and organisations for exhibitions etc) and 2011 winners are on in Newtown, in the gallery with the fairly cumbersome name of At The Vanishing Point. Georgina Pollard's works are literally poured paint. They look like woven plastic and it is precisely this plasticity of the material itself on which Pollard relies. The paint is not held on a surface, but is free form - floating against the wall as a fragile woven sculptural object. Each stripe of paint is poured at regular intervals throughout her day, drying before the next pour is done. In a way she sees these works as diaries of her daily routine. ... she believes the paint itself can decide when it's a finished painting, by the virtue of the fact that it becomes just that when there is enough pigment and binder applied for it to hang from itself unsupported. Connie Anthes The walls have eyes  

Marita Fraser untitled (skirt painting), 2008
acrylic on canvas 150x100cm
image courtesy the artist and
James Dorahy Project Space

Marita Fraser is really adept at this technique at James Dorahy Project Space, in which the paint medium becomes the sculptural element. The paint takes on a lovely squidgy look (though of course you can't touch) and its very properties, rather than its colours, are brought into focus.
The ATVP exhibition feels raw and developing;a bit gritty (it is King Street in springtime) and a bit of tearing and pulling at the edges. Fledgling artists need support and nurturing and places to show off and put out, to develop the confidence and finesse (however rough or smooth) to get them on a professional trajectory. I'm up for that this week, so why stop at only one space dedicated to emerging artists - there are plenty more.

Rochelle Haley  Bird on a rock, 2012,
watercolour on paper, 24 x 19cm
image courtesy the artist and Galerie Pompom

Just as gritty in location, if not in feel, Rochelle Haley's exhibition Dead Precious in Galerie Pompom is a marvel. I felt like I'd stepped into a precious jewel box. Before me was a series of small, very finely and admirably rendered watercolours, laid out like trays of jewellery. The watercolours reveal glittering gemstones, some of which are set into animal skeletons, others laid bare with their fascinating facets. The gems and the skeleton imagery was literally dreamt-up, developed from a recurring dream the artist had of a gemstone sitting within the abdominal cavity of an animal skeleton. There is no Freudian analysis here, rather a deep and lengthy exploration of time, colour and light. Gemstones are cut to simultaneously entrap and project light and here, these stones sparkle against the chalky-ness of the bones, on the soft, textured paper. The 4 C's, colour, cut, carat and clarity, have been beautifully elucidated, juxtaposed against the lightness, texture and fragility of the animal bones. Time creates both these elements then you, as the spectator, add the stories. Each of us comes to gemstones and skeletons with our own memories, fascinations and dreams. 

Rochelle Haley, Golden 2012  watercolour and white ink on tinted paper, 27 x 38cm
image courtesy the artist and Galerie Pompom

Rochelle Haley Gems, 2011, watercolour on paper, 30 x 30 cm
image courtesy the artist and Galerie Pompom

Haley is an interesting artist, working across different media, depending on her subject. Here the droplets of watercolours beautifully intensify colour and the feel of refracted light. 
Check out the video of Rochelle talking about this body of work from Das Platform. It is a good body of work - not to be missed. Till Sept 22.
Fortune was on my side: a park right outside First Draft, in Surry Hills. As rare as the gorgeous pink sapphires I'd just admired in Galerie Pompom, it was a good omen and I had to seize it. I'm really glad I did. 

Jack Condon Untitled (Card tower) 2011
pigment print 67 x 100cm
image courtesy the artist and First Draft, Sydney

I have to admit, First Draft, whilst it has long been on my reasonably regular route, can be hit and miss. Again, it's about emerging artists. It is an artist-run space, funded by the Australia Council, managed for a set term by a collective of artist/ directors. Its raison d'etre is to provide a space for fledgling artists to present their work to a discerning, critical audience. Set up by the Australia Council in the mid 80s, it was one of the first on the scene of artist run spaces to have a sound administrative structure and the promise of longevity. There is a great potted history on its website, which articulates well its influences and contributions to the art scene in Sydney over the past 30 years. 
This exhibition is more like four mini solo exhibitions, rather than a group show and it was great. I wouldn't have called the works experimental - rather ones which were fairly well resolved, both conceptually and technically. But I guess that should be expected from 4 artists who, between them, have several 1st class honours from respected tertiary art institutions, awards and residencies under their belts. 
Jack Condon's large scale hyper-real photographs of the chaotic dregs of a uninspired suburban life were compelling. Each carefully staged, the tableaus hint at a frozen moment: a bunch of firecracker sparklers in full fizz; a house of cards tenuously bury someone; a couple caught in (an unerotic) mid-bounce on the bed, the only give away, a slight blurring of flyaway hair. The mess strewn everywhere reminded me of those "I Spy" kiddies books - look carefully at the detail and find the hidden objects and messages which tell the story. There seem to be many stories hidden just beneath the surface of these works.
Jesse Hogan's paintings were of floor talks. The endless adjunct to the conceptual exhibition is the often too conceptual, not always enlightening, floor talk. Here Jesse flips it around, with the floor talk within an exhibition space, as the subject. He alludes to ambiguities of language and authorship around the works by recreating the scene of other artists at work. Interesting.

Sara Morawetz  Quanta  installation shot 
First Draft Gallery Sept 2012
image courtesy the artist

Sara Morawetz  Untitled from exhibition Quanta    
archival pen on paper
image courtesy the artist

Finely drawn lineal works and crafted molecular structures feature as Sara Morawetz's Quanta installation. Free drawn, exquisite tension in long lines and dots, which are as much about randomness and minute irregularity as they are about incredibly focussed, finely tuned, exacting works. Her small sculptures are paper tetrahedrons, built to mathematical equations and precision, with the assistance of mathematician, Darren Engwirda. Numbers and forumlae can be very elegant.
Each of the artists promises potential. The works are for sale - this is the time and place to take a small risk and collect current work by a young, not-so-established artist.
Then to Peloton, also an artist run space, in Surry Hills. Not every artist-run-space is dedicated to emerging artists. Peloton offers itself to a broader spectrum. Opening last week was Derek Kreckler who is a well recognised, respected artist currently researching for PhD in Creative Arts at Wollongong University. This new work forms part of that continuum of research.

It was great to see new work by Kreckler and chat briefly to the man himself. Though very busy in Wollongong, it has been a while since we've seen him here in Sydney. It's nice to see him back here.  

Derek Kreckler  Dootch taking a breather after showing Kelton the best fishing spots 2012
installation image
image courtesy the artist. Photo credit Vincent Bicego

You may have seen some recent photographs of his, laid out large and quietly imposing on 2 billboards just past Heathcote on the Princes Hwy, as you've whizzed south. Unfortunately no longer there - artists' personal budgets rarely stretch to long-term large scale outdoor advertising - you can see the images and more information about the two billboards online here. Their lovely subtlety is heightened in the advertising space, a space where we are used to being accosted and bombarded. His statement is equally as arresting and memorable. 

Derek Kreckler Document two (car) 2012
37.2 x 59.3cm dye-based inks on archival paper
images courtesy the artist

Kreckler's new work talks more about chance and celebrating that moment when chance and accident shift the state of play. There is no attempt to be Johnny on the spot waiting with camera for these moments - a tree falling, a waitress with a tumbling tray of flutes - as these are wholly staged points in time. As with Condon's work, Kreckler's photographs also freeze a certain moment but it is the what next? that we are being asked to consider, rather than the what has been, which I think is Condon's emphasis. 

Derek Kreckler Many a slip ... 2012
195 x 236.6cm dye-based inks on archival paper
images courtesy the artist

On until 6 Oct.
It feels very comfortable being back in the blogging chair. I will keep at it. Until next time.....

Considering an artist in residence

I thought I'd step away from wandering around galleries for a moment and have a brief look at what some artists are achieving outside an exhibition space. 
Imagine inviting an artist into your home, school or office, solely to create something unique and relevant. Not necessarily a partnership or a painting project-by-committee, rather one which creates an opportunity: for the artist, to work and learn (and live and eat) and for the 'patron', to engage with someone, possibly outside of their groove, who might take a different approach to life and add another dimension. Each might influence the other which may then be reflected in the outcome.

Wendy Murray private commission 2006
acrylic & enamel paint on wallpaper 

Private patronage has many benefits for artist and patron alike. Life is meant to be interesting and should be filled with ideas and concepts that take us outside of the daily grind. Creative projects offer this opportunity.
We did it a while ago - in our family home. I met an artist whose work I particularly liked and which I thought could sit well in our home. Wendy Murray came to our home for 3 days, as our artist in residence, to draw and paint and spray-paint on prepared wallpaper, to create a large, site-specific wall piece. Her fee, materials, meals and beverages were covered and in return, we received what I still consider a beautiful artwork unique to our home. It was a particularly memorable experience for our kids and their friends - all of whom still speak with great pride about their involvement (minimal, thank goodness) in the resulting piece. A modest project yes, but with a long and very happy ending. Imagine the breadth of influences from a larger, more ambitious projects.
Sydney Grammar Prep in Edgecliff has a great residency program - the Master Artists Program. A generous anonymous donor bequeathed the funds to the School, for the purpose of bringing writers, poets, musicians, composers and visual artists into the classroom. The expectation is that the artists interact with the boys across all ages (to 12 years old) in the classroom, showcase their skills and develop a project in which everyone can participate either as individuals or as a group. This is not the standard residency program but one which crosses over into instruction and education in an informal way.

Alexander Seton Cats 2008
resin, 23x18x11cm ea
image courtesy the artist and
Sullivan & Strumpf Fine Art, Sydney

Art teacher Janna Tess seeks out artists whose modus operandi can be translated into a classroom situation and, importantly, artists who are happy to talk to lots of kids. The artistic skill set must be balanced with those of communication. The boys have been well nurtured in the art department by such luminaries as John Wolseley, Del Kathryn Barton, a group of women from Walpiri (Central desert), Alexander Seton and Darren McDonald. 
Alex Seton commented that instructing and organising the kids was a "new experience; it was intense and challenging but thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding." His art practice is fairly industrial, so it was pretty unrealistic to expect him to teach the kids how to carve Carrara marble. His approach was to create a project which was rooted in the elements and interests of his practice but was wholly achievable by groups of young boys, over a couple of weeks. They made huge inflatable creatures from recycled plastic bags. Janna's recollection of the project is one of pure joy, seeing these large fantastical creatures, puffed into life with a generator, float and waft across playground. 
The idea is not necessarily to meet the particular needs of the curriculum but to enliven it. It is to stimulate creativity in the classroom and introduce contemporary practices to young minds. For the teachers, they find it equally as stimulating and refreshing, keeping their teaching methods fresh and new. 

Darren McDonald Wielding the willow 2010
oil on canvas
image courtesy the artist and 
Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne

In this Program the artists are paid a fee and, should they be from out of town and around for a duration (say 2 weeks), they can stay in nearby accommodation. At the end of the residency, an artwork by the artist is bought for the School's permanent collection.  Whoever set this program in motion for the School had great foresight into its potential benefits and influences, for boys, teachers and artists alike. 
Along similar lines, with public funds, is the artists in public schools initiative, set up as a joint venture between the state governments and the Australia Council. The process and the outcome though seem to be less fluid and fairly curriculum/ policy driven, which is to be expected I guess.
As I blog, Alex Seton is enroute to another residency, this time in upstate NY. Art Omi International Artist Residency selects up to 30 artists from world wide to "gather in rural NY state to experiment, collaborate and share ideas" for 3 weeks in July. 
Art Omi began as the vision of a major art enthusiast and philanthropist, Francis Greenburger, as a way to find meaningful connections with artists internationally; to circumvent the frustrations of international politics and develop a positive international discussion based on cultural perspectives. Lofty ideals but a great point to start with and test drive. It is cross-artforms, with artists working alongside other invited writers, musicians and dancers. Art Omi is also realistic in its approach, aiming to assist serious artists find a solid professional way forward: that what they are doing is not and should not be perceived as hobbyist or extraneous, rather as meaningful and significant contributions to a broader international community. Creative opportunities are balanced with critical appraisals from the Critic-in-Residence and introduction to professionals and experts in the field (gallerists, other artists, critics). This is good old-fashioned art patronage at its best - generous, long term, ambitious and engaged. 
Such patronage is also thriving in Malaysia. Architect Hijjas Kasturi and his Australian-born wife Angela have developed and manage 2 artist residency programs, one on a large estate just outside of KL, the other in Penang. Their first venture and main estate Rimbun Dahan began about 18 years ago and was born of a desire to establish positive cultural exchanges between Malaysia and Australia. It was about the time of Keating and Mahathir contretemps and we all remember that famous jibe: relations were strained. The program at Rimbun Dahan is well resourced and organised: artists are invited for a 12 month stay with accommodation, a stipend and travel support. A solo exhibition is scheduled for the end of the residency period, in the Underground Gallery (onsite) and a couple of works are purchased for the Kasturi personal collection. Currently Jonathon Nichols is in residence and from what I've heard, is having a fabulous (and productive) time.
I heard about Rimbun Dahan from Thornton Walker, a Melbourne- based painter who lived there about 16 years ago. He has also recently just returned from a residency at Hotel Penaga in Penang, the Kasturi's 2nd residency venture. It is designed around a more informal and flexible program, offering a 6 week stay, but retaining the same sense of generosity and support as Rimbun Dahan. 

Thornton Walker surrounded by his work, in the studio at Hotel Penaga

Thorton Walker Georgetown V 2012
watercolour, ink & acrylic on paper, 76x56cm
image courtesy of the artist

On this recent trip to Penang, Thornton went with no preconceived notions or expectations of outcomes. I wanted to be completely open to new influences and subject matter during my time at Penaga as the artist in residence; to absorb the rich culture in Penang and respond to it as best I could, in the studio. After exploring the town for a week, what stayed with me were the old faded photographs of faces I saw on temple and clan house walls. They resonated for me as a window into the past, a nostalgic glimpse of a rich culture. I decided to do my best to recreate this feeling in paint. I took snap-shots of these photographs, often out of focus and partly obscured with reflections on their glass frames, and then set about interpreting them in watercolor, ink, acrylic and oil paint. Thornton Walker, 2012, on Hotel Penaga website

Thorton Walker Georgetown IV 2012
watercolour, ink & acrylic on paper, 76x56cm
image courtesy of the artist

Watercolour blots and softens the past. The portraits become romantic and intriguing, suggestive of alluring foreign lands and times, rather than records of particular individuals. The over-layed details of the ficus plant and bunch of lychees, so common in Penang, haul the works back into the present. The calligraphy is pure chinese, beautiful in its graphic feel but, in this context, absurd and out of place - lychees in heavy syrup! These portraits lure us in, though with tongue-in-cheek, toying with our own desire for the exotic.

And, beyond remaining just new work within a respected artist's career, these works add to the tolerance and understanding of another culture - from both sides of the fence. 

Now all that is required is a residency in an equally enchanting location for well-meaning bloggers. 
I am taking a short break from blogging over the next couple of weeks. But you, dear reader, need not pause in your pursuit of meaningful art: there is so much going on. Check these out ....
The 18th Biennale of Sydney All our relations opens next week and looks bigger, brighter and better than before. In tandem is SafARI, presenting emerging artists during the Biennale.
The Commercial opens, a new gallery venture for Amanda Rowell; Ken Unsworth is at William Wright Artists' Projects and Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan: In-Habit: Project Another Country open at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation
Go forth and enjoy.